Tournament Rules and Regulations
Player Eligibility & Movement:
Players are prohibited from competing on multiple teams during the tournament.
Any player found participating on more than one team will be considered an Illegal
Player.
Illegal Players will be immediately ejected from the tournament.
Teams that ice an Illegal Player will be penalized with an automatic 5-0 forfeited loss.
League-Specific Rules:
CHL Players:
o Players with prior CHL experience are eligible to compete in the Elite Division.
o Players with CHL experience are prohibited from playing in the Prospects
Division.
NCAA Players:
o Players with prior NCAA experience are eligible to compete in the Elite
Division.
o Players with NCAA experience are prohibited from playing in the Prospects
Division.
Roster Regulations:
Players must participate in at least one round robin game to be eligible for the playoffs.
Any player participating in the playoffs without having completed the required round
robin game will be deemed an Illegal Player.
Teams that ice an Illegal Player in the playoffs will incur an automatic 5-0 forfeited loss.
Each team is permitted a maximum of 25 players on the roster.
A maximum of 20 players (including goalkeepers) may be dressed for each game.
Equipment Policy:
Players are required to wear either a full cage or a full visor; half visors are not permitted.
Neck guards are mandatory for all participants.
Jersey Conflict Resolution:
In the event of a jersey conflict, the home team must change jerseys.
In playoff rounds or the championship game, if a jersey conflict arises, the team with the
lower seed after round robin play must change jerseys.
Disciplinary Rules:
Fighting Major:
o Any player assessed a fighting major penalty will be ejected from the tournament.
Head Shot Penalty:
o A minor head shot penalty will result in a 2 or 4-minute minor penalty.
o A major head shot penalty will result in a 5-minute major penalty, along with an
automatic 2-game suspension.
Mercy Rule:
A running clock will be implemented if there is a 5-goal difference within the last 12
minutes of play.
If the goal difference is reduced to 3 goals, the clock will return to stopping time.
Tournament Format
Round Robin Game Structure:
3-minute warm-up
1st Period: 12 minutes
2nd Period: 15 minutes
3rd Period: 15 minutes
Tiebreaker Format:
1. Total Points
2. Wins
3. Head-to-Head
4. Goal Differential (Goals For Minus Goals Against)
5. Fewest Goals Against
6. Most Goals For
7. Coin Flip
Playoff Seeding & Structure
Elite Division:
The top 2 teams from each division will advance to Sunday’s games.
An additional 4 wildcard teams will be selected to join the top 2 teams in Sunday’s
competition.
Teams will be seeded 1 through 16.
The top 16 teams will compete in a Round of 16.
Winners will advance to the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final.
Seeding format follows the tiebreaker rules.
Prospects Division:
The top 3 teams from each division will advance to Sunday’s games.
Teams will be seeded 1 through 12.
The top 4 teams in each division will receive a bye into the Quarterfinals.
Teams seeded 5 through 12 will compete in a Round of 12.
Winners will advance to the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final.
Seeding format follows the tiebreaker rules.
Playoff Structure:
After the Round of 12 (Prospects) and Round of 16 (Elite), teams will be reseeded for the
Quarterfinals.
All subsequent rounds, including the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final, will feature
reseeding after each round in both divisions.
Game Structure – Round of 16, Round of 12, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final:
2 x 15-minute stop time periods (3-minute warm-up).
Flooding will occur before the start of the game.
Overtime Format: 5-minute stop-time, 3-on-3. If the game remains tied after overtime, a
shootout will take place (3 shooters per team). If still tied, a sudden-death shootout will
follow. Each team may select 3 players for the first round of the shootout. In sudden
death, teams may reuse players as necessary until a winner is determined.
Championship Game:
2 x 15-minute stop time periods (3-minute warm-up).
Flooding will occur before the start of the game.
Overtime Format:
o 5 minutes running time, 3-on-3, followed by 5 minutes running time, 2-on-2.
o If the game remains tied, the next phase will involve unlimited running time, 1-
on-1, until a winner is determined.
o Players are allowed to change on the fly during these overtime periods.